Bucs' sack master lauds Tampa Bay fans

Simeon Rice remembers when he was growing up in Chicago how the success of the '85 Bears and their Super Bowl XX appearance in New Orleans captivated the city.

Monday, it was Rice who ignited passion in the fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A day after beating his Mt. Carmel High School teammate, Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb, in the NFC championship game, Rice soaked up the sun and the atmosphere at Raymond James Stadium before boarding a bus to take him to the team charter bound for Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego.

"They've been our 12th man and are seeing us off," Rice said of the thousands of fans at the sendoff.

"I know when I was growing up, as a kid, watching the '85 Bears, it was special to the city. This brings attention to the city. And I think it builds a mind-set and the psyche of an individual that's going to work every day. It's kind of like we represent what they are."

Rice, a starter at defensive end who led the NFC in sacks with 15 1/2, represents Chicago's most popular connection to Super Bowl XXXVII.

Wearing a cream velour warmup suit and sunglasses, Rice greeted teammates, reporters and front-office workers with a smile as wide as his enormous wingspan.

He also reflected on the Bucs' 27-10 victory Sunday at Philadelphia in which he tormented boyhood buddy McNabb with a sack, strip and fumble recovery. "Did you hear them boo Donovan?" Rice asked. "He was balling. No one else was."

This week, the Tribune will check in with Rice as he prepares for Super Bowl XXXVII and hits San Diego like a doomed quarterback.